The influence of cultivar, anti‐browning agents, package atmosphere, storage time and temperature on quality, and sensory of fresh‐cut potatoes (FCP) were investigated. Slices of cv. Birgit and Lady Claire were dipped in water, sodium chloride solution (1%) and sodium ascorbate solution (2%) and stored under air, vacuum, and active modified atmosphere at 3 and 10°C for 10 days. Dry matter, pH, color and texture properties, gas composition within packages, and microbial activity were monitored during storage. Also, raw and boiled FCP were sensory evaluated. Examined influences significantly affected majority of FCP properties. Generally, sodium ascorbate showed more efficiency in browning prevention, as well as vacuum‐packaged samples were more acceptable. Storage at 3°C did not have significantly better effect compared to storage at 10°C. FCP quality and sensory retained well till the 8th day of storage. Cv. Birgit demonstrated greater potential for FCP production. Practical applications Although fresh‐cut potato (FCP) has been extensively investigated, there is an existing need for further study of adequate cultivars, as well as prevention of enzymatic browning as important factor for maintaining its quality. This research provides a better insight of the influence of legally permitted anti‐browning agents (quantum satis) that are accepted by consumers as natural and nontoxic food additives, as well as low‐cost packaging method and storage conditions on FCP quality and sensory properties in order to achieve and improve its required quality and durability during storage. Furthermore, present study could also contribute to better knowledge of relatively new potato cultivars on the market.

This work examined the influence of cultivar, tubers’ age, antibrowning agent, package atmosphere, and storage time on fresh‐cut potatoes’ (FCPs) physical, chemical, and sensory properties. Potato slices of cv. Birgit and Lady Claire tubers sampled during the first, fifth, and ninth months of storage were dipped in solutions of (1) sodium chloride (1%) and (2) sodium ascorbate (2%), and stored for 8 days in (1) vacuum and (2) active modified atmosphere (MAP) (10.0% CO2, 3.0% O2, and 87.0% N2) at 10 °C. During storage, O2 and CO2 content (%) within packages was measured and samples were analyzed for weight loss, total solids (TS) and soluble solids (SS), pH, color, texture, and sensory properties of raw, boiled, fried, and baked FCP. Results showed that 9 months' aging had a significant impact on almost all investigated FCP properties, but differences among first, fifth, and ninth months were numerically feeble for some parameters in raw samples: TS changed from 22.14% to 20.98%, SS 5.53% to 6.93%, pH 6.02 to 5.98, L* 70.10 to 68.87, C* 35.75 to 36.70, H° 89.29 to 88.15, and firmness 7.25 to 8.13N. Furthermore, 9 months of aging had no significant influence on the characteristic odor of raw, boiled, fried, and baked FCP and characteristic taste of fried and baked FCP, whereas boiled FCP characteristic taste remained unchanged for 5 months of aging. Fried FCP was better sensory evaluated than baked ones, cv. Birgit was more suitable for the FCP production compared to cv. Lady Claire as well as vacuum packaging and sodium ascorbate better preserved samples quality and sensory than sodium chloride and MAP. Practical Application This study could be helpful to fresh‐cut potato (FCP) producers because results indicate that for FCP processing, along with the selection of cultivar, antibrowning agent, and packaging type, tubers’ age also requires attention. A further contribution of this research is related to the adequate way of FCP cooking, where frying shows the best results according to the quality and sensory assessment.

Certain changes in phenolics and sugars can occur during the storage of potatoes, where particularly amounts of sugars represent the critical factor as they are involved in potentially harmful acrylamide (AA) formation during frying. This research investigates the impact of cultivars (Birgit and Lady Claire), tuber's age (1, 5, and 9 months), and storage duration (1, 5, and 8 days at 10 • C) on the content of phenolics and sugars in raw, boiled, and fried fresh-cut potato (FCP). The influence of these factors on the formation of AA in fried FCP was also assessed. Significant differences in phenolics and sugars were observed between cultivars (cv. Birgit contained 5.77 mg of phenolics 100 g -1 of dry weight (DW) and 1.75 g of sugars 100 g -1 DW, while cv. Lady Claire contained 10.13 mg of phenolics 100 g -1 DW and 0.65 g of sugars 100 g -1 DW). The content of phenolics significantly decreased, while sugars increased during tubers' aging. FCP storage time had no significant influence on the content of phenolics and sugars. The phenolics and sugars were the highest in the raw samples and the lowest in the boiled ones. Although the AA level in fried samples was significantly influenced by cultivar (Birgit > Lady Claire) and it increased with FCP storage time, it was below European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) regulation's approved maximum value (750 µg kg -1 FW) in both cultivars. Therefore, cvs. Birgit and Lady Claire could be considered as promising FCP cultivars and for frying purposes. Practical Application: The results of this research reveal that quantitative changes of chemical constituents occurring during storage and cooking of freshcut slices of potato cultivars Birgit and Lady Claire are not a concern. This is of particular importance to fresh-cut producers and customers. Phenolics were reduced during storage, but they were still present in all cooked samples independently of the cooking method. The analysis of sugars showed that tubers as old as 9 months could be used for fresh-cut potato processing, providing safe frying without critical levels of acrylamide.

This work examined the influence of cultivar, anti-browning treatment, package atmosphere and storage duration on the oil uptake and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) levels in fried fresh-cut potato (FCP). Birgit and Lady Claire potato slices were pre-treated with sodium chloride solution (1%) and sodium ascorbate solution (2%), packaged in vacuum and modified atmosphere and stored at 10 °C/8 days. Oil uptake was significantly higher in Birgit FCP and was not affected by minimal processing. HPLC analysis/fluorescence detection was able to identify a total of 14 PAH. Benzo(a)pyrene and ΣPAH4 levels (0.62 and 1.36 µg kg−1, respectively) were below the EU limits in all fried FCP samples. Majority of examined light and heavy PAH were higher in Lady Claire, while naphthalene, fluorene and pyrene were decreased by vacuum packaging. No differences in PAH levels were noted in FCP fried at the beginning and after 2, 4 and 8 days of storage.

AbstractPotato (Solanum tuberosum spp.) is worldwide consumed mostly as table potato, but due to lifestyle changes, production of minimally processed potato (MPP) became an important sector of the food industry. From the health point of view, phenolic compounds as potatoes constituents are desirable, but also responsible for undesirable browning of peeled and sliced potato. The most abundant are phenolic acids such as chlorogenic acid, which is a substrate for enzymatic oxidation in the presence of phenolase and is responsible for browning processes. Its concentration in tubers depends on cultivar type as well as storage, and thereby can influence on shelf life of MPP. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of two potato cultivars of different tuber age on the phenolic content of MPP during 8 days of storage followed by thermal treatment. Cultivars Birgit and Lady Claire were selected and stored for 1 and 4 months in warehouse (8 °C/RH 95 %). Potatoes were washed, peeled, sliced and treated with 2 % sodium ascorbate solution for 3 minutes. After draining, MPP samples were vacuum packed in PE/PA bags and stored for 1, 5 and 8 days at 10 °C. After storage, samples of raw, boiled and fried MPP were freeze dried and phenolic content was determined by UPLC MS/MS. In all potato samples chlorogenic acid, catechin and epicatechin were determined, where chlorogenic acid predominated (almost 97 %).Generally, lower phenolic content was determined in cv. Birgit samples. Comparing cultivars upon tubers age, total phenolic content (as sum of all determined polyphenols) was lower after 4 months storage and ranged from 3.33 mg/100 g freeze dried sample (raw cv. Birgit/1st day) to 7.27 mg/100 g (raw cv. Lady Claire/8th day). MPP's phenolic content in raw potatoes increased over the storage time, except in cv. Lady Claire potatoes stored for 1 month. Influence of thermal treatments on the MPP phenolic content showed decrease in boiled and fried MPP prepared from 1 month stored potato, while in MPP samples prepared from 4 months stored potato did not follow a clear trend. Phenolic content was lower in boiled potatoes compared to fried potatoes, regardless cultivar type, probably because phenolics are lost by cooking in water. The current study demonstrates that cv. Birgit is more suitable in minimal processing than cv. Lady Claire according to lower phenolic content.